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Sizing up NBA's Eastern Conference after Sixers LeBron James signing What kind of competition will LeBron James and the Sixers have in the Eastern Conference? Jim Jackson calls into The Dan Patrick Show to discuss the Jordan vs.
LeBron debate and what needs to go right for the Sixers this season.
What kind of competition will James and the Sixers have in the East? Below is a summer rundown on the 10 teams that made the playoffs or play-in tournament last season.
And an honorable mention should go to the Indiana Pacers, who may very well improve dramatically from last years 19-win season withDetroit racked up 60 wins in the 2025-26 season, four more than the No.
2 seed Celtics.They fell to the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs.
Its tough to properly assess the Pistons until the Duren saga ends.
Theyll hope the net result of their moves is an upgraded supporting cast around Cade Cunningham and deeper playoff progress.
trading Jaylen Brown to the SixersIt wouldnt be shocking at all if the Celtics stayed near the top of the East standings, but we imagine theyll need good health for Jayson Tatum and the 36-year-old George.Boston would also benefit plenty from continued growth by young players like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.
The Knicks will enter next season with close to the same roster as their championship-winning team.
The backup center picture has changed with Robinson out andAfter falling behind 2-1 in Round 1 against the Hawks, the Knicks won their next 13 games.They polished off a second-round sweep of the Sixers with aAt least for the time being, the Knicks have a leg up on the Sixers in terms of knowing the exact recipe for playoff success with their current roster.
They may be more reliant on one star, but Jalen Brunson is fresh off a Finals MVP performance and the Knicks certainly dont lack talent around him with players like OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.As has been the case the past few years, it would be great for the Cavs if Evan Mobley took a step or two forward offensively.
Mobleys three-point percentage dipped to 29.7 last season.
The Cavs again appear likely to lean heavily on the Donovan Mitchell-In the event the deal goes through, Leonard is the kind of player who would considerably raise Torontos ceiling when healthy.The Raptors were excellent on defense last year,Atlantas had an intriguing offseason after returning to the playoffs last year.
The Hawks might wind up ahead of some teams with flashier names in the standings.
No other team in the East matches the Sixers pure star power.
Between James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have an absurd 36 All-Star selections .Embiids health is still highly important and hes struggled to avoid injuries for a sustained stretch since his 2022-23 MVP season.
However, its quite realistic for the Sixers to aspire to win the East.
Theyll plan to start by earning home-court advantage for the first time in Nick Nurses tenure as head coach and giving themselves an easier path in the playoffs.The Knicks were unquestionably the superior team, but fatigue was a factor for the Sixers in last postseasons second round after theirAgain, its very valid to wonder whether Orlando can be an adequate three-point shooting team.
The Magic made 34.3 percent of their three-point attempts in the regular seasonAfter starting 11-23 last season, the Hornets went 33-15.They had the NBAs best offensive rating and fourth-best defensive ratingThe Sixers and several other East squads seem to be more well-rounded than the Heat, but Antetokounmpo is a bona fide superstar, Bam Adebayo is a three-time All-Star with six All-Defensive Team selections, and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra habitually extracts the most he possibly can from his team.